Nitrous oxide respiration in acidophilic methanotrophs.

ABSTRACT: Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria are considered strict aerobes but are often highly abundant in hypoxic and even anoxic environments. Despite possessing denitrification genes, it remains to be verified whether denitrification contributes to their growth. Here, we show that acidophilic methanotrophs can respire nitrous oxide (N₂O) and grow anaerobically on diverse non-methane substrates, including methanol, C-C substrates, and hydrogen. We study two strains that possess N₂O reductase genes: Methylocella tundrae T4 and Methylacidiphilum caldifontis IT6. We show that N₂O respiration supports growth of Methylacidiphilum caldifontis at an extremely acidic pH of 2.0, exceeding the known physiological pH limits for microbial N₂O consumption. Methylocella

SUBMITTER: Awala SI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11102522 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature